2025 ISAP Image Competition Awards Ceremony

Entry Deadline: March 19, 2025, 11 PM Central Time

Competition Date: April 2, 2025, 10 AM Central Time

Awards Ceremony:  April 23, 2025, 7 PM Central Time (virtual)

Entry Fees: $15/members; $20/non-members

Number of Entries Allowed: A maximum of five in a category. No overall limit on entries beyond the category limit of five.

Entry Size: Files must be sized so the longest dimension is 4000 pixels. Each file must contain

an embedded color profile of either sRGB or AdobeRGB 1998 and be saved at a JPEG quality

setting of 10.

Image Eligibility:

1. Images must be the creative work of the entrant.
2. All processing, manipulation, or rendering must be done by the entrant or under his or her direct supervision. In the Artist Category, the maker must do all processing, manipulation, artwork, or  rendering.
3. The entrant’s name should not appear anywhere in or on the face of the entry.
4. No entry will be eligible if it has been made under the supervision of an instructor or as a class assignment. All images submitted must be self-directed.
5. Entries of the same subject will be allowed if the images are entirely different concepts.
6. Images that have merited or medaled at Professional Photographers of America’s International Photographic Competition or at a previous ISAP image competition are not eligible to be entered. Images that have merited through PPA’s Merit Image Review are eligible for entry.
7. The Image Competition Committee decision about entry eligibility is final.

Judging: Entries will be judged on PPA’s Twelve Elements of a Merit Image.

Questions:

The image competition co-chairs are Ellen Zangla and Danica Barreau. Please address any questions to them: 

Ellen Zangla, ellen@ellenzanglaphotography.com 

Danica Barreau, danica@pouka.com

Animal Antics: Humorous animal actions, reactions, etc. that are unplanned and uncontrived.

Painting, cloning, healing, patching, remove, content-aware fill, generative fill without text, liquify,

or similar tools are permitted. AI-generated art using text is not permitted.

Animals and Humans: Photos of people and animals with the intent to show the relationship

between them. Painting, cloning, healing, patching, remove, content-aware fill, generative fill

without text, liquify, or similar tools are permitted. AI-generated art using text is not permitted.

Animals — Natural: For all animals other than wildlife (see “Wildlife — Natural” description

below). Minor adjustments to crop, rotate, selective dodge and burn, reduce noise, sharpen,

adjust color/black-and-white, or apply grain are allowed. Minor cleaning jobs to remove sensor

dust or chromatic aberration are allowed. Removing lights, stands, leashes, or assistants is

allowed as long as what they are replaced with does not change the original reality of the image.

Photo stitching, focus stacking, and multi-exposure are allowed as long as it is shot at the same

time and in the same place as a consecutive sequence, seconds or minutes apart. It is NOT

allowed to add, delete, or move elements by cloning, healing, patching, content-aware fill, liquify,

or similar tools. The original captured image (in RAW or JPEG) must be uploaded with the entry.

Artist: Main subject(s) must be photographed by the maker. At least one of the main subjects

must be an animal. Images that have been photographed and then trained in an AI program do

not qualify as photographed main subjects. The entry may also include painting, freehand

drawing, and elements that the maker didn’t photograph but has permission to use. AI art

generated by text may be used to create backgrounds or elements of the entry. Do NOT include

guide images on your entry. The original captured image (in RAW or JPEG) of the main subject

must be uploaded with the entry.

Cats: Portraits of domestic cats, indoors or outdoors. Cats younger than seven months old

should be entered in the “Puppy and Kittens Category.” Painting, cloning, healing, patching,

remove, content-aware fill, generative fill without text, liquify, or similar tools are permitted.

AI-generated art using text is not permitted.

Dogs Indoors: Portraits of dogs, whether in your studio, a client’s home, or any other indoor

location. Dogs younger than seven months old should be entered in the “Puppy and Kittens

Category.” Painting, cloning, healing, patching, remove, content-aware fill, generative fill without

text, liquify, or similar tools are permitted. AI-generated art using text is not permitted.

Dogs Outdoors: Portraits of dogs at any outdoor location. Dogs younger than seven months

old should be entered in the “Puppy and Kittens Category.” Painting, cloning, healing, patching,

remove, content-aware fill, generative fill without text, liquify, or similar tools are permitted.

AI-generated art using text is not permitted.

Dogs In Action: Dogs running, jumping, swimming, etc. Dogs younger than seven months old

should be entered in the “Puppy and Kittens Category.” Painting, cloning, healing, patching,

remove, content-aware fill, generative fill without text, liquify, or similar tools are permitted.

AI-generated art using text is not permitted.

Equine and Farm Animals: Horses and other farm animals, such as cows, chickens, sheep,

etc. Painting, cloning, healing, patching, remove, content-aware fill, generative fill without text,

liquify, or similar tools are permitted. AI-generated art using text is not permitted. Wild horses

should be entered in either the “Wildlife — Illustrative Category” or the “Wildlife — Natural

Category” (depending on the editing; see their rules below).

Other Domestic Animals: Gerbils, rabbits, lizards, etc. Must be pets, not wildlife or wild

animals. Painting, cloning, healing, patching, remove, content-aware fill, generative fill without

text, liquify, or similar tools are permitted. AI-generated art using text is not permitted.

Puppy and Kittens: Dogs and cats six months of age or younger. Every animal in the photo

must meet that age requirement. Painting, cloning, healing, patching, remove, content-aware fill,

generative fill without text, liquify, or similar tools are permitted. AI-generated art using text is not

permitted.

Sporting Animals (Reportage/Documentary): Images that illustrate an actual public or

non-public animal sporting event, such as conformation, agility, barrel racing, rodeo, dock diving,

etc. ONLY basic color and brightness adjustments including black and white conversion,

cropping, dodging, and burning in are allowed. Noise reduction and sensor dust removal are

allowed. Only single-capture images will be accepted. Composite and multiple-exposure or

in-camera file stacked images will not be accepted. The originally captured image (in RAW or

JPEG) must be uploaded with the entry.

Wildlife — Illustrative: Wildlife/wild animals in captivity and/or under a person’s direction

should be entered into this category. Wildlife that doesn’t meet the editing rules for “Wildlfe —

Natural” also should be entered into this category. Painting, cloning, healing, patching, remove,

content-aware fill, generative fill without text, liquify, or similar tools are permitted. AI-generated

art using text is not permitted.

Wildlife — Natural: Images must depict actual wildlife in a natural habitat. Baiting to attract,

control, or manipulate wildlife is not permitted. Minor adjustments to crop, rotate/flip, selective

dodge and burn, reduce noise, sharpen, adjust color/black-and-white, or apply grain are

allowed. Minor cleaning jobs to remove sensor dust or chromatic aberration are allowed. Photo

stitching, focus stacking, and multi-exposure are allowed as long as it is shot at the same time

and in the same place as a consecutive sequence, seconds or minutes apart. It is NOT allowed

to add, delete, or move elements by cloning, healing, patching, content-aware fill, liquify, or

similar tools. The original captured image (in RAW or JPEG) must be uploaded with the entry

Category Winners: After the judging is complete on April 2, judges will choose a category

winner from the top ten scoring meriting images (and ties) in each category. Awarded a trophy.

Best in Show: Judges will choose “Best in Show” from the category winners. Awarded a trophy.

Judge’s Choice Awards: Each judge will choose his or her favorite image from among all the

entries. Awarded a ribbon.

ISAP Animal Photographer of the Year: This award is intended to show versatility and is

awarded to the animal photographer showing excellence in at least five categories. Entrants

must merit at least one image in five different categories. The case (of five) total will decide the

winner. In the event of a tie, the case median determines the winner. If an entrant merits more

than one image in a category, the highest scoring image in the category will be used. If an

entrant merits in more than five categories, the five highest scoring images will be used, with no

more than one coming from each category. Awarded a trophy.

CPP Award: Provided by PPA and awarded to the highest scoring entry by a member in good

standing with PPA and who is a current CPP. In the case of a tie, the judges will select a winner.

The awards ceremony will take place virtually on April 23, 2025, at 7 PM Central Time. Trophies will be mailed to the category winners within two weeks of the competition. Domestic shipping is included in the award. International winners are responsible for paying shipping costs for their awards.